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Taiwan has outlawed the consumption of dog and cat meat, as the island’s legislature on Tuesday passed a landmark amendment to its animal protection laws. The island’s official Central News Agency (CNA) said the revision showed the transition “from a society in which dog meat was regularly consumed” to where “many people treat pet cats and dogs as valued members of their families.” Previously, the Animal Protection Act only covered the slaughter and sale of dog and cat meat. Individuals who eat or trade dog or cat meat can now be fined between $1,640 to $8,200. The amendment also bans...

Judge Neil Gorsuch has been confirmed as an associate justice to the United States Supreme Court. Americans on both sides of the aisle should be pleased and proud of the Senate’s confirmation. Sophisticated arguments have been levied back and forth over the propriety of Judge Gorsuch, and liberals and conservatives both claim their support or opposition are in accordance with the “rule of law.” What does the “rule of law” actually mean? It means, simply, that we are a nation of rules not of rulers. This philosophy and understanding is a hallmark of American government. Consider this analogy: When playing...

A Washington state man is facing a possible first-degree murder charge after shooting an intruder he found taking a shower in a property he owned — in a case authorities and legal experts said appeared to go beyond self-defense laws. Bruce Fanning, 59, is accused of fatally shooting Nathaniel Rosa, 31, after he discovered Rosa bathing early Saturday morning in Belfair, Washington, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office. Authorities say Fanning discovered his place of business, which is near his home, had been broken into and found Rosa in the shower. Fanning told investigators he confronted Rosa, who responded...

In “A History of American Political Theories,” Charles Merriam stated, “The Revolutionary doctrines of an original state of nature, natural rights, the social contract, the idea that the function of the government is limited to the protection of person and property - none of these finds wide acceptance among the leaders in the development of political science.” To illustrate this erroneous line of reasoning, New Zealand’s legislators recently passed a law giving the Whanganui River the legal status of a “PERSON.” The river now has its own rights and the ability to represent “itself” through human representation. Although New Zealand’s...

Since when is moving to another country against the law? And since when do we enforce the laws we have on the books? I thought I knew, but I’m not a judge like this lady is, so I guess I was wrong. **SNIP** Got that? If you move to another country illegally, and that country tries to make you leave, that’s a challenge to the rule of law. You see, “rule of law” means we can only enforce the laws that Tani Cantil-Sakauye wants to enforce, in the exact manner she wants to enforce them. She’s the one who decides,...

Requires Law Enforcement To Obtain A Warrant In Most Cases The West Virginia Senate has passed and sent on the House of Delegates legislation that will regulate how drones can be used in the state. Under the provisions of the law, it would be illegal for anyone to use a drone to: •Intentionally take photographs or other types of images or publish such photographs or images of another person without the other person’s permission where the person being photographed or whose image is being captured has a reasonable expectation of privacy. •Physically harass another person or surveille another person without...

>Last night on his eponymous Fox News program, Tucker Carlson interviewed David Moyse, an attorney hired to defend 18 year-old Henry Sanchez-Milian, who is in this country illegally, against a charge of rape against a 14 year old girl in a bathroom at a Rockville, MD, high school. Moyse is one of those youngish (in his 30s) lawyers who gets himself on lists of up-and-comers, like this one, and is a name partner in a criminal defense firm. In going on TV to make the case for his client, Counselor Moyse found himself being cross-examined and saying something he soon...

When the University of Arizona started accepting a generic graduate school exam for law school applicants last year, the national group that oversees such admissions chastised the university and threatened to oust it from its membership. But now that Harvard, the gold standard, is following suit, there is growing hope that dropping the traditional Law School Admissions Test as a requirement for applicants across the country could lead to a larger and more diverse group of lawyers entering the field.

A federal District Court judge in Maryland is considering whether he should order President Donald Trump to double the annual inflow of refugees up to 100,000 per year.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Thursday told federal immigration officials to stop “stalking undocumented immigrants” at California courthouses. Cantil-Sakauye said she was “deeply concerned” that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are apparently seeking out undocumented immigrants for deportation at courthouses and courtrooms from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

.... official who came under scrutiny last year over his wife’s campaign contributions from a Hillary Clinton ally did not list those 2015 donations

The State Bar of California has agreed to launch a comprehensive assessment of whether the minimum score needed to pass its bar examination should be lowered to allow more prospective attorneys to pass. In recent weeks, a growing chorus of voices — from state legislators to law school deans to court officials — have registered urgent concerns that the lowest score needed to pass the exam, commonly referred to as the “cut score,” is too high, flunking would-be attorneys who would qualify to practice law nearly everywhere else in the country. That sense of urgency has increased since November, after...

President Barack Obama signed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill into law yesterday after the U.S. Senate voted for an extension of the President George W. Bush-era spy bill 73-23. The FISA bill gives the government clearance to tap into American citizens’ communications with people outside of the U.S. without a warrant, so long as it is done in the name of collecting foreign intelligence. Obama has previously stated his approval of the bill, saying that the U.S. needs such measures when dealing with national security. More specifically, it means that government entities such as the National Security Agency are...

Channel 4 documentary was granted access to Birmingham Central Mosque, so it is likely that those in charge sought to convey the best possible image, knowing that the footage and commentary would be broadcast. Nonetheless, the broadcast left viewers dumbfounded. According to the Daily Mail, there are believed to be about 85 Sharia courts in the UK; the Express puts the number at 100. These courts are supposed to resolve family, marriage and financial disputes for Muslims; they are predictably is misogynistic, and consequently damaging to women, and by proxy to children.

The Trump administration has taken its first step to building the wall on the Mexican-American border as it has requested proposals from contractors and plans to have a prototype built by mid-March. The US Customs and Border Protection issued the preliminary requests on Friday and said it will accept proposals next month for the design of the wall. The agency also said the it would release requests on or about March 6 asking companies for prototype ideas.

The singer who performed the national anthem at Donald Trump's inauguration has spoken out against him over protections for transgender students. Jackie Evancho, 16, said she wanted to "enlighten" Mr Trump on the issue. On Wednesday, Mr Trump overturned Obama-era guidance allowing transgender students to use school toilets matching their gender identity. Critics of the order said it threatened other students' privacy and safety, and states should decide their own rules. The vocalist said she was "obviously disappointed" about his move, and she wanted to meet the president to tell him what her sister Juliet, who is transgender, endured at...

As the Trump administration expands its deportation policy, Chicago Public Schools told its principals that they should not let any agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into schools without a criminal warrant. “To be very clear, CPS does not provide assistance to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the enforcement of federal civil immigration law,” chief education officer Janice Jackson wrote. The district also distributed palm cards in English and Spanish from the National Immigrant Justice Center containing such legal advice as not opening doors to immigration officials. President Donald Trump campaigned on building a wall to keep...

HIGHLIGHTS o The PM referred to the role of skilled Indian talent in enriching the US economy and society o He urged developing a reflective, balanced and far-sighted perspective on movement of skilled professionals o As of now, Indian professionals are granted a large number of visas to stay in US for 6 years NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON: PM Narendra Modi has urged the US to take a "reflective, balanced and far-sighted" perspective on the movement of skilled professionals, indicating India's discomfort with the Trump administration's intent to curb H-1B visas. The PM raised the issue during his interaction with US Congress...

The family of an illegal immigrant arrested during a recent roundup of criminal aliens seems shocked that immigration laws are being enforced. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Miguel Angel Torres, an illegal immigrant living in Austin, Texas, for the past fourteen years, during the recent Operation Cross Check roundup of criminal aliens. It appears immigration officers arrested Torres while they were looking for his brother-in-law, a previously deported illegal alien, the Texas Tribune reported. “[My husband] is a person who’s never done anything wrong and who complies with the law,” Irma Perez, the wife of the illegal immigrant,...

Dear readers, President Trump recently released an Executive Order banning the travel to the United States of citizens of several terror-infested nations (1). Federal Judge James Robart of Seattle issued a temporary restraining order in response to the EO, and a 9th Circuit panel subsequently ruled against the government's attempt to have it lifted (2). For those unfamiliar with federal immigration law and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the statutory provision giving the President the authority to exclude foreigners from the United States is 8 U.S. Code Section 1182. More specifically: (f)Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by...